:'''''Note:''' [[Tommy Caubble]] passed away in early July. The Republican Party chose Caldwell to run in his place.<ref>[http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2012/07/05/senate-candidate-tommy-caubble-dead-at-65 ''Arkansas Times,'' "Senate candidate Tommy Caubble dead at 65," July 5, 2012]</ref>

:'''''Note:''' [[Tommy Caubble]] passed away in early July. The Republican Party chose Caldwell to run in his place.<ref>[http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2012/07/05/senate-candidate-tommy-caubble-dead-at-65 ''Arkansas Times,'' "Senate candidate Tommy Caubble dead at 65," July 5, 2012]</ref>

The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 1, 2012. The primary election day was May 22, 2012.

Although Arkansas senators typically serve four-year terms, they are elected to a two-year term during the first election of the decade. Thus, rather than only half of all senators being up for election, all sitting members will be on the ballot in November.

Races formed earlier than usual this year as Democrats attempted to reassert themselves after losing seats in both chambers in 2010. Republicans also campaigned early, hoping to gaining control of the legislature.[1] Republicans were hoping to capitalize on U.S. President Barack Obama's low approval ratings in Arkansas, while Democrats were likely planning to use their historical advantage in the state and focus on local issues. Control of the legislature will not decide which party is legally the "majority" party in the state, however; that status can only be claimed through winning a majority of the seven constitutional offices in the state, which will be decided again in 2014.[2]

There are 35 Arkansas State Senators, all of whom will be up for re-election in November. In 2012, 10 of them who are current members, or 28.6% of the total senate seats, (7 Democratic state senators and 3 Republican state senators) will be ineligible to run for the senate again in November.

Impact of redistricting

Governor Mike Beebe's redistricting maps were approved 2-1 in August 2011. Democrats Beebe and Attorney General Dustin McDaniel voted yes, while Republican Secretary of State Mark Martin did not approve. Martin and others have criticized the maps' impacts on the representative districts of the Arkansas House of Representatives. Beebe's map reduces the number of districts with an African American majority from 13 to 11 and pits four pairs of incumbents against each other in 2012. Martin's map would have increased the number of districts with an African American majority to 15 and would have only paired 3 sets of incumbents in 2012. Senator Hank Wilkins defended the current maps, claiming "In order for us to keep three districts (in southeastern Arkansas), in essence the percentage of African-Americans would be so low that in my mind we would not really have majority-minority districts. "We'd have districts that, conceivably we could lose all three African-Americans (in the House), and I was not willing to take that chance."[3]

Redistricting has lesser impacts in the Arkansas State Senate, maintaining the current number of African American dominated districts at four. It also pairs no incumbents against each other in 2012.[3]

Campaign contributions

This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in Arkansas in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[4]

Year

Number of candidates

Total contributions

2010

38

$3,771,126

2008

23

$2,251,735

2006

27

$1,546,556

2004

26

$1,250,204

2002

64

$2,693,862

In 2010, candidates running for senate raised a total of $3,771,126 in campaign funds. Their top 10 contributors were: [5]

Qualifications

Article 5, Section 4 of the Arkansas Constitution states: No person shall be a Senator or Representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, nor any one who has not been for two years next preceding his election, a resident of this State, and for one year next preceding his election, a resident of the county or district whence he may be chosen. Senators shall be at least twenty-five years of age, and Representatives at least twenty-one years of age.

List of candidates

District 1

Incumbent Republican Johnny Key is running for re-election in District 17.